Last



G. F. RYAN Aug. 10, 1937.

LAST

' Filed Jan. 28, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l VE/VJUF- U q L Aug. 10, 1937.

G. F. RYAN LAST Filed Jan. 28, 1935 2 SheetsSheet 2 Patented Aug. 10, 1937 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFIQE LAST Application January 28, 1935, Serial No. 3,751

6 Claims.

This invention relates to collapsible lasts and mechanism for operating them in collapse and extension. The invention is particularly applicable to hollow metallic lasts, the interior of which aifords ample room for the mechanism involved in operating the last without weakening the parts by the removal of material for this purpose.

An important feature of the invention resides in the bonding mechanism provided in the last. As illustrated, this comprises a bonding or tension link and a second operating, tightening or looking link pivoted to each other and also pivotally mounted in the two last parts in such manner that swingingthe second link will move the axis of the tension link past the axis of rotation of the second link, to pull the last parts tightly together and to lock them in such position. The two links operate much as a toggle joint.

Another feature of the invention resides in the operating means provided to turn the second or toggle link and in the novel combination between this means'and the last. The toggle link is arranged to engage and to be operated by a member entering the last through its upper surface. As illustrated, that member is mounted on a jack having a second member arranged to engage and grip the last thimble, these two members being relatively movable to move the last operating member into and out of the last.

These and other features of the invention coinprising certain combinations and arrangements of parts will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, in which- Fig. 1 shows the last, in operable position, mounted on the jack prior to operation of the jack;

Fig. 2 shows the last on the jack after operation of the jack, the last being collapsed;

Fig. 3 shows the entire jack, with the last as in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 illustrates a detail of the jack and is a cross-section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

The illustrated last comprises a forepart l0 and a heel part l2. These are both hollow and are cast preferably from aluminum or one of its alloys, for example, by the method explained in the application of Frank P. Hyde, Serial No. 613,002, filed May 23, 1932 The joint surface between the two last parts consists, as illustrated, of two intersecting planes l4, l6, which intersect at an obtuse angle l8, concave into the forepart H3. The flat surfaces where these planes intersect the last Walls are cast against chills, so that they need no machining to make them fit.

The forepart and heel part are held tightly together by a tension or bonding link 29 which engages a pin 22 in the forepart and is pivoted at 23 to the already-mentioned second tightening, looking or toggle link 24 centered on a pivot pin 26 in the heel part. The link is arched at 28 to enable it to embrace the pin 26 so that the center of the pin 26 lies a little above a line 21 joining the centers of the pins 22, 23 when the last is in operative position with the pin resting in the arch 28 (Fig. 1). Thus any tensile stress on the link 20 merely presses the arch 28 more firmly against the pin 26, and the last thus locked cannot be unlock-ed without turning the operating link 24 to carry the line 22-23 to the other side of the pin 28.

The last is collapsed, as just suggested, by turning the operating link 24 counterclockwise (Fig. 1) around the pin 26, which carries the pin 23 and its end of the link 2!) forward and toward the bottom in the last, thus enabling the collapse of the last, as shown in Fig. 2.

This collapsing movement is elfected by a special jack 30 comprising a frame 32 in which is mounted a vertically sliding tube 34 normally pressed upwardly by a spring 36 located between a rib 3B in the frame 32 and a collar 40 adjustable on the tube. The tube 34 carries near its upper end a fiat collar 42, and its upper end is formed as a conically bored, partially split thimble 48 knurled on its outside stu'face. Inside the tube is a rod 44 with a conical upper end 46 located in the thimble 48. The rod 44 has a ball-andsocket joint 50 at its lower end. The jack is also provided with a fixed pin 52 projecting from its upper end and arranged to extend through a hole 54 in the upper surface of the heel part 52. The upper end of the pin 52 is arranged to cooperate with a tooth 56 on the link 24 and the pin 52 has a notch 58 arranged to cooperate with a thimble 48, causing it to grip the last thimble 52 when further movement of the rod 44 draws the last straight downward. The fixed pin 52 turns the link 24 and unlocks the last, which may then be collapsed by the operator into the position shown in Fig. 2, the shoe being then removable from the last. The last cannot be removed from the jack while it is in collapsed or unlocked position.

The rod as is pulled down by a treadle 64 and treadle rod 66 which is connected to the joint 50. Operation of the treadle pulls down the rod 44 and tube 34 and compresses the spring 36 which assists in relooking the last when the operator releases the treadle 66. A second treadle 68, spring-pressed at 69, is provided (Figs. 3 and 4) which, when depressed, operates a lever 10 pivoted at 72 in the foot of the jack and having its free end located under the end of the treadle 64, so that depression or" the treadle 68 raises the treadle 3 and the rod 44, in case the springs 36 and 69 are unable to do so. There is play at M between the rod 4 and the tube 34 so that the thimble '38 will be collapsed by the stresses in its unslotted lower end before the joint 5!! begins to push against the tube 3A and to push the last off the pin 52, thus swinging the link 24 back into the Fig, 1 position and locking the last, which may then be removed from the thimble G8 and pin 52.

It is contemplated that the heel part l2 will be used with different foreparts of varying styles and of some range in size. The removal of the pin 22 is all that is necessary to change the fore.- part. The method by which these last parts are cast insures perfect fitting.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A last having a for-epart and a heel part separated by a cut forming interfitting faces on the said last parts, a link pivoted in one of said last parts, and a second link pivoted at one end in the other said last part and at its other end to the first link and so arranged that, when turned, it will carry its first-named pivotal axis past the longitudinal axis of the first-named link whereby the second link will, when appropriately turned, draw and positively hold said last parts tightly together.

2. A hollow, metallic last having a forepart and a heel part separated by a cut forming interfitting faces on the said last parts, a tightening link pivoted in one of said last parts, and a bonding link pivoted at one end in the other said last part and extending therefrom past the pivot of the tightening link to a second pivotal axis on the tightening link, said links being so constructed that the first-named pivot on the tightening link will move from one. side to the other of the line joining the pivots of the bonding link where by the tightening link will, when appropriately turned, draw and positively hold said last parts tightly together;

3. A last having a forepart and a heel part separated by a cut forming interfitting faces on the said last parts, a toggle link pivoted in one of said last parts, and a tension link pivoted at one end in the other said last part and extending therefrom past the pivot of the toggle link to a second pivotal axis on the toggle link, said tension link being curved to permit its axial line to swing past the pivotal axis of the toggle link when the latter link is turned, whereby the two last parts may be drawn tightly into operative position and locked there, by turning the toggle link.

4. A last having a forepart and a heel part separated by a cut forming interfitting faces on the said last parts, a locking link pivoted in one of said last parts, and a tension link pivoted at one end in the other said last part and extending therefrom past the. pivot of the locking link to a second pivotal axis on the locking link, whereby the locking link will, when appropriately turned, draw said last parts tightly together, said locking link having an abutment arranged to cooperate with an operating member insertible through the top of the last to turn the locking link.

5. A last having a forepart and a heel part separated by a cut forming interfitting faces on the said last parts, an operating link pivoted in one of said last parts, and a bonding link pivoted at one end in the other said last part and extending therefrom past the pivot of the oper- I ating link to a second pivotal axis on the operating link, whereby the operating link will, when appropriately turned, draw said last parts tightly together, the heel part having a hole in its upper surface through which an operating member may project to have rack and pinion engagement with said operating link to turn theoperating link.

6. A last having a heel part and a forepart, a thimble in the heel part, and a bonding means for uniting the heel part and forepart, said bonding means being arranged for two-way operation by a cooperating member on a jack insertible through the upper surface of the heel part, and said thimble being constructed and arranged to engage frictionally a jack pin to prevent sliding movement between the thimble and jack pin, whereby relatively moving the jack pin and the said cooperating member will move the bonding means relatively to the heel part for the purpose of putting the last into operative and inoperative conditions.

GEORGE F. RYAN. 

